Partners in Crime
by SlytherinfromDistrict2
Summary: Alice Lawson, known as Ash by her friends, has been a pickpocket ever since she was a child. But what happens to her when Nancy begins acting strange, a new boy is introduced to Fagin, and her friendship with the Artful Dodger is put to the test? *Eventual Dodger x OC*


It was a typical morning for the group of pick-pockets living in a rundown apartment just outside the main city of London; Mr. Fagin was cooking sausages over a fire, the boys were scattered around the room in groups of three or four, drinking their gin, washing up for the day, or maybe doing something as simple as playing a game of cards. Either way, there was nothing out of the ordinary about that day so far, except for one thing that would only be noticed by the Artful Dodger.

Usually, by the time everyone was awake and getting ready for another day on the job, there would already be someone else there, ready to go out with them. Maybe Dodger only noticed said person's absence because he knew it wasn't like her to be late, not to mention he was closer to her then any of the other boys. Dodger just shook his head and splashed some more water onto his face before putting on his top hat and sitting down at the table with a bit of gin. Even though he tried to ignore it, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he had.

"Alright, lads! Sausages are ready!" shouted Fagin as he brought the pan of sausages to the table. All of the boys immediately ran to the table and grabbed one.

"Hey, isn't Ash usually here by now?" asked Charley before he took another bite of his sausage. Dodger was thankful he wasn't the only one who noticed, but he also realized that this meant that maybe something was wrong or that she was in trouble.

"Maybe she's jus' runnin' a bit late, no need to worry 'bout it," said Fagin. The boys all finished the remainder of their food and then got ready to leave for the day. Just as dodger slipped on his right shoe, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Plummy and slam!" shouted a familiar voice from outside. Fagin went to open the door revealing a small girl, around Dodger's age, with sandy brown hair and green eyes. She held a basket in her left hand and wore her tattered blue dress like always, but today she looked unusually tired.

"Bit late, my dear, a few of the lads were worried 'bout ya," he said.

"Were they?" she asked, finding it funny. "Well, I'm fine. Got caught up at 'ome, is all."

Ash looked around at all of the boys, and thankfully they all seemed content with that answer. Everybody except Dodger. He was giving her a skeptical look, but she just shook her head at him to tell him it was nothing to worry about.

"Okay, boys, time to go then!" Fagin told them. All the boys and Ash made their way out the door, heading towards the main city. They began to split off in different directions in their groups right after they left, and Ash always went out with Dodger and Charley. The three of them stayed silent for a while, but Dodger was the first to speak.

"Wha' really 'appened this mornin', Ash?" he asked.

"If you mus' know, Dodger, I was keepin' an eye on Nancy this mornin'," she replied.

"What're you keepin' an eye on 'er for?" Charley asked. "It's usually the other way 'round, ain't it?"

"Yeah, of course, but Nancy ain't been actin' right lately," Ash said grimly. "She's been stumblin' home real early in the mornin', and she never looks 'appy anymore. I didn't know wha' was goin' on, but today I saw a real bad bruise on 'er arm. 'er dress covers it for the most part but I saw it through the rips in the dress."

"Blimey," Dodger said, scratching the back of his head. "D'you think she's alright?"

Ash whacked Dodger in the head, nearly knocking off his hat. "No, I don't bloody think she's alright! Why d'you think I've been watchin' her?" Ash snapped.

"Okay! Sorry, gees," Dodger replied readjusting his hat. The three pickpockets arrived at the main city and immediately began looking amongst the crowds of people for someone wealthy who it would be worth to steal from.

"Oi, look," Charley whispered to the other two when he saw a middle-aged gentleman with a walking stick and a black tail coat. He had a patterned pocket handkerchief hanging out of his left pocket and was standing just outside of a shop, admiring some of the things in the window.

"It'll look a bit odd if there's three of us seein' as the shopkeeper's probably gonna be watchin' from inside, so me and Charley got this one," Ash said, hanging her basket on her right forearm.

"Hey, what 'bout me?" Dodger whined as the other two went off.

"I dunno, it won't be 'ard to pick a couple o' wallets off people, will it?" Ash said before her and Charley got to their target.

Dodger huffed, and walked the opposite way down the street, eyeing anyone who looked like they might have good stuff in their pockets. Ash was right, it was easy for him to get a couple of wallets as he had only walked a little ways and ended up with two on him. He then spotted a man in a blue coat walking by with full pockets, by the look of it. Dodger trailed the man cautiously, but had to look unsuspicious as one of the policemen walked past. While trying to get to the man, he noticed a small, frail looking boy wearing workhouse clothes staring at him curiously. Dodger thought it was a bit weird so he tried to find the man again but clearly he had waited too long since he lost him. He mentally cursed himself, but when he turned around, the boy was still staring at him.

"What're you staring at?" Dodger asked. "Ain't you never seen a toff?"

Meanwhile, Charley and Ash had finished their job and ended up getting a decently lined wallet and the handkerchief. As they walked back, they realized that Dodger was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Dodger, then?" Ash asked worriedly.

"Well, he can't 'ave gone far, can he?" Charley replied shrugging.

They continued to walk down the street, Ash managing to sneak a couple of bread rolls from a cart when the lady had her back turned, but they still didn't see Dodger. After a few minutes, they found him, but he was walking with another boy they didn't recognize.

"Oi, Dodger!" Ash called, waving from a couple meters away. Dodger saw them and waved them over. "I found this lad after the two o' you left, says he's an orphan," Dodger told them. "I'm thinkin' about takin' 'im back to Fagin's."

Ash looked at the boy for a few moments before smiling. He'd probably be a good pickpocket because of his size; it'd be easy for him to get in and out of places pretty quick.

"Well, before we take 'im there, we gotta know who he is," Charley noted.

"My name is Oliver," the boy said. "Oliver Twist."

"Right, this is Charley, Ash, and I'm Jack Dawkins, better known among me more intimate friends as the Artful Dodger," Dodger told Oliver.

"Ash? Is that your real name?" Oliver asked her.

"No, me real name's Alice. But me friend Nancy's been callin' me Ash since she first found me because I was practically covered in it. I used to be a chimney sweep, see," she told him.

"Oh. Who's Nancy?"

"You'll meet 'er soon, Oliver," Ash replied.

"Dodger," Oliver began, "Are you sure the old gentleman you mentioned before won't mind me staying there?

"Mind? Nah, not at all," Dodger said.

"Consider yourself at 'ome, mate," Ash told him as they all began to walk towards Fagin's.


End file.
